CNC Milled Air Ring Improves Air Flow

In response to rising costs for sand casting its aluminum air rings for blown fi lm, Future Design Inc. in Mississauga, Ont., turned to CNC milling air-ring sections out of aircraft aluminum plate and then assembling the plates with epoxy and fasteners.

Product Post: 3/1/2007

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In response to rising costs for sand casting its aluminum air rings for blown fi lm, Future Design Inc. in Mississauga, Ont., turned to CNC milling air-ring sections out of aircraft aluminum plate and then assembling the plates with epoxy and fasteners. From the outside, the new CNC-built Saturn AP 5000 air ring looks like the sand-cast Saturn air rings. But CNC milling reportedly allows better shaping of the chamber, air-fl ow passages, and lips, for improved air fl ow to cool the bubble. The fi rm also uses CNC milling to make a new circular gauge-control device, dubbed "Perfect Balance." It fi ts under the air ring with 0.5- to 0.625in.-wide channels and valves to control air fl ow manually or automatically to correct film thickness. Both devices will be shown for the fi rst time at the Plast-Ex show in Toronto in May. Tel: (905) 361-9978 . www.saturn2.com